Hosiery



Sept. 15, 1925. 1,553,811

f V P-. E. GILBERT HOSIERY Filed Dec. 1'7, 1924 22122:; IL z'lberi. 8Q E HT Patented Sept. '15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PHILIP E. GILBERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HOSIERY.

Application filed- December 17, 1924. Serial No. 756,408.

To all whom, "it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP E. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hosiery; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

When a person wearing a stocking or sock walks, there is a natural tendency of the foot to elongate and spread when weight is applied so that the stocking or sock' on the foot is spread on stretched transversely, thereby causing the sock' or stocking to be shortened longitudinally with the result that the end of the stocking or Sock is drawn against the ends of the toes thereby causing undue wear at the toe portion of the'stocking or sock.

This invention relates 'to an improved form of hosiery and more particularly to an improved toe portion for asock or stock ing, said toe portion being constructed preferably of a ribbed web material with all the wales thereof positioned transversely of the foot portion of the sock or stocking, thereby permitting a longitudinal stretching at the toe portion to obviate wear particularly at the big toe section of the toe of the sock, or stocking.

It is an object of this invention to provide an im roved form of hose wherein a longitudinal stretching is permitted at the toe portion to materially obviate wear.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a sock or stocking with the toe constructed of a material which will permit longitudinal stretching of the toe portion when the hose is'on a persons-foot so that the tendency of the toes to wear through the toe portion reduced. e

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an imof the hose is quite materially proved hose provided with a toe portion embody ng the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of 4 the foot portion of the improved hose.

Figure 3 1s a top plan view of the foot portion of the improved hose shown on a persons foot and illustrating in dotted lines the longitudinal stretching position of the toe portion of the hose when weight is applied to the foot.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the foot portion of a sock or stocking provided with a modified form of toe.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the modified form of hose illustrated in Figure 4.

As shown. on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates the leg portion of a sock the upper end of which terminatesin a ribbed top 2 while the lower portion has integrally formed thereon a foot section 3. The hose has a heel portion 4: which may be of any selected construction desired.

The improved portion of the hose is the toe portion 5 which is constructed of a ribbed web material having all the wales thereof positioned transversely of the foot portion 3as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. The toe portion is provided with side seams 6 as shown in Fig ure 2. The ribbed web material forming the toe 5 may form a continuous portion of the foot section 3 at the intersection 7 or the marginal edge of the toe 5 may be con nected with the marginal edge of the foot section 3 by any other suitable method with- I out forming a ridge or portion of excess thickness at the joining margins of the toe and foot sections.

It will thus be seen that an improved sock or stocking is provided having a ribbed web toe with all the wales positioned transverse- ;ly ofthe foot portion instead of longitudinally in the accustomed manner. The transverse arrangement of the wales or ribbed web toe permits a longitudinal stretching of the toe portion from the full line position of Figure 3 to the dotted line position of said figure when an improved stock is being worn and pressure is applied on the foot when the person is walking, producing an elongation of the foot so that the toes tend to move forwardly against the tip portion of the toe to stretch the same. With the improved toe longitudinal stretching is of course perm1tt'ed,.thereby obviating undue wearing pressure on the tip portion of the toeso that tearing or wearing of holes in the tee is reduced, and discomfort or pos sible injury to the foot is obviated.

In the old type of toes in hose, the spreading action of the metatarsal portion of the foot causes a transverse stretching of the toe section due to the fact that the ordinarysock or stocking is longitudinally nonelastlc.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of toe for a sock or stocking and in this case the toe 8 is constructed of a thin sheet rubher or if desired a silk or cotton covered elastic Webbing. The rubber toe portion 8 may be Woven into the marginal end of the a foot portion 9 of a hose or the margin of the rubber toe 8 may be cemented or vulcanized in place to format smooth junction between the toe and foot portion. The improved rubber toe 8 will permit lateral stretching when the hose is in use on a persons foot and the tendency to wear is thus greatly reduced affording a substantially hole-proof hose.

I am aware that many changes may be made'and numerous details of construction may be varied vthrough a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: A sock. or stocking having a ribbed toe, each of the wales thereof extending in a. plane transversely of the length of the foot to permit longitudinal stretching.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- I scribed my name.

PHILIP E. GILBERT. 

